Russia restricts Sweden and other LGBT-friendly countries from adoptions

Continuing its promise to restrict the country’s LGBT community, Russia has prohibited Sweden from adopting Russian children. Same-sex marriage was legalized in Sweden in 2009 and according to Sveriges Television, Russia has banned Sweden from adopting Russian orphans in an effort to eliminate same-sex parenting.

"It's terrible. We have 13 children in Russian orphanages who have been offered to parents in Sweden who they have actually met," Sweden’s Adoption centrum agency spokesperson Jonas Friberg told Sveriges Television.

Along with banning “homosexual propaganda,” Russia approved an anti-LGBT law banning LGBT couples as well as countries approving of marriage equality from adopting Russian children. The law was in place to protect the youth as well as to instill Catholic Orthodox values. Several politicians have made controversial remarks on the LGBT community.

"The perverts? No, it is unacceptable. Homosexuals are 'perverts' and should absolutely not be allowed to adopt children," Russian politician Vitaly Milonov said in an interview with SVT on September 26. "Children who grow up in that kind of environment are destroyed psychologically."

Sweden has made a strong stance on LGBT issues in the past several months.

Swedish fashion company Bjorn Borg released a LGBT-friendly ad while several Swedish athletes wore rainbow-colored gear in defiance of Russia’s anti-LGBT laws.

In August, protesters painted a pedestrian crosswalk in rainbow colors outside of the Russian embassy in Stockholm and raised rainbow flags when Putin visited Sweden earlier this year. Sweden also introduced a gender-neutral catalogue for their Toys “R” Us brand in 2012.

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